(SERVING RAF CHIVENOR)

A Halifax bomber, number DG412, from 1663 heavy conversion unit, was based at RAF Rufforth, four miles west of York. The crew was trained on heavy bombers, which also included the Lancaster and Stirling, prior to being posted to an operational bomber squadron.  The last training flight of the course was known as a Bullseye mission.

A relatively soft enemy target was chosen for the crew to complete an actual combat bombing mission, and this was the fatal mission of the crew on August 27, 1943. The mission was to bomb Brest, in France. However, the bomber suffered anti-aircraft fire damage and had to be flown back to England. It was refused permission to land at Chivenor, near Barnstaple, and Winkleigh, near Torrington, both in Devon.

Tragically, over the village of Langtree, the damaged aircraft broke up in mid-air and crashed. The aircraft came down on the land at Buda Farm, Langtree, about 500 yards from the parish church.”

Full Crew:

Sgt Wheatley was only 18 and the flight engineer. Other crew were pilot Sgt John Williams, 20, from Sussex; bomb aimer Flying Officer William Graham, 28, from Oldham, Greater Manchester; wireless operator Sgt James Taylor, 23, from Kirkaldy, Fife; mid-upper gunner Sgt Peter Bartle, 29, from New South Wales, Australia; and rear gunner Sgt Hugh Henry, 22, from Queensland, Australia.Sgt Stainsby was aged 20 and navigator on the flight.

415315 Flight Sergeant Norman Neville Dunn of the Royal Australian Air Force. Son of Arthur John Wellesley Dunn and Mary Grace Dunn, of West Leederville, Western Australia. Died 18th September 1943 aged 25.

On 18th September 1943, Wellington HE324 was taking part in night non-operational Combined Command Bulleyes(*i.e.the last trip of the training session), and was detailed to fly at 7000 feet, cloud permitting. It was reported by RAF Chivenor, that an aircraft had crashed at 0054 hours on the18th September, and all the crew were killed.

A Flying Accident report stated : “The cause of the accident was unknown. PO Stewart, the Pilot of a Beau fighter from No 125 Sqn RAF Exeter reported that he carried out aninterception of a Wellington aircraft near Bidefort at 0048 hours. The Wellington evaded the intercept and disappeared into cloud. Flt Sgt O’Brien of No 29 O T U flying a Wellington stated a Beaufighter over took him and attacked another Wellington at 0052 hours. Both aircraft disappeared into cloud and shortly after there was an explosion on the ground. Other Pilots on the same exercise reported a towering mass of Cumulus Nimbus cloud in the Barnstaple area.”

See entry for  Peter Bartle (above). Hugh Henry was acting as Rear Gunner on this occasion.

Beaufort N1160 flown by FO Little (Pilot) when carrying out a practice flight on 30 August 1941, crashed into the sea about half a mile off Saunton Sands, North Devon, England. All on board were killed. Details of the remainder of the crew or what happened to them were not recorded.

Beaufort L9935 crashed on 7 February 1942, one mile east of Chivenor, during a night take off at 2023 hours from Chivenor, North Devon, UK  All the crew were killed.The aircraft was detailed to carry out a night navigation patrol exercise over the sea. A later Court of Inquiry found that the pilot lost flying control soon after take off causing the aircraft to lose altitude and strike high ground..

424305 Sergeant Henry  Arthur Newnham of the Royal Australian Air Force. Son of Henry Thomas Newnham and Ella Marjorie Newnham, of Delungra, New South Wales, Australia. Died 18 September 1943 aged 21

See report for Norman Dunn (above) for accident details.Sergeant Newnham died in the same accident

405142 Pilot Officer (Navigator/Bomb Aimer) Reginald Allan White of the Royal Australian Air Force. Son of Thomas Malcolm and Lillian White; husband of Lillian Beatrice White, of Punchbowl, New South Wales, Australia.

Beaufort L4445 was detailed on 1 March 1942 to carry out a low level bombing training exercise. The aircraft took off at 1005 hours and during the exercise the aircraft struck the water and crashed. A later Court of Inquiry found that the primary cause of the crash was the aircraft hitting the water of the River Taw, causing the port propeller to come off. A secondary cause was the stalling of the port wing during an attempt to carry out a forced landing due to (a) the pilot's attemps to reach the aerodrome with insufficient power or height to do so and (b) the use of flaps in the final stages of the approach. Died 1 March 1942.